Wild Heart
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The wind was blowing hard, and the rain had stopped. The sky above them was a dark blue with only occasional white clouds drifting across it like ghosts of snowflakes in the summertime.
A few stars were visible through gaps between those thin wisps, but not many—the night seemed to be closing down on all sides as if some great hand was slowly squeezing shut around everything that lived here below ground. It wasn’t cold yet, though there would probably come an icy chill later when dawn came up over the mountains behind them.
For now, they could still feel the warmth from their fire against their backs where they huddled together for protection while waiting out this stormy weather.
They’d been lucky so far: no more than two hours after setting off again under cover of darkness, they found themselves walking along beside one another once more without any need to talk about anything at all because each knew what the other needed just by looking into his eyes or her face.
They walked side-by-side silently until they reached a place where the trail turned sharply right towards the mountain wall ahead before disappearing completely beneath its surface.
There was nothing else left except a narrow ledge running alongside the cliff edge which looked too small even for someone as big as Ransom to squeeze himself onto let alone climb down safely using both hands and feet.
He glanced back at Taryn who shrugged slightly then followed him forward anyway. She didn’t seem worried either, although she did look very tired and drawn. Her hair hung lankly past her shoulders and clung damply to her neck despite having dried somewhat during the day’s journey since leaving the riverbank.
As soon as he saw how exhausted she appeared, however, he felt guilty for making such lighthearted comments earlier. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly, stopping next to her.
“I’m fine,” she said shortly, turning away from him abruptly.
He frowned, wondering why she hadn’t answered directly. Then he realized that whatever it was must have upset her deeply enough to make her want to avoid talking about it all together rather than risk saying something wrong. And perhaps also afraid of being misunderstood.
So instead of pressing her further, he simply stood close beside her and waited patiently for her to speak first. When finally she spoke again, it sounded almost angry.
“What do I care? You’re going to die.”
Ransom stared at her blankly. What did she mean? Wasn’t dying part of life itself? If everyone died eventually wouldn’t that make every single person special somehow? But maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part…
She sighed heavily. “You don’t understand. No matter what happens to me, you’ll never know happiness ever again. Not really. Because your heart will always belong to somebody else…”
His mouth dropped open in shock. How could anyone possibly think such a thing? His whole body shook with rage as he stepped closer to her. “That’s ridiculous!” he shouted furiously. “How can you say such a stupid thing?!”
Taryn glared angrily back at him. “Because it’s true. That’s exactly what happened to my mother. My father loved her dearly. More than anything. Even more, than he cared about living. Which is ironic considering what we’ve done today. We killed our own kind.
Our family. All because we wanted to save ourselves. To survive. Just like you are doing now. Only unlike us, you won’t get to see any real benefit from it. Or anybody else for that matter.”
Her words struck home painfully deep inside him. He couldn’t deny it anymore. This time he understood perfectly well what she meant. In fact, the realization made things much worse. Now he knew precisely how selfish and self-centered he truly was.
Worse still, he suddenly realized that this was the way most people thought about death. Most humans believed that when they died they went straight to heaven or hell depending on whether they had lived good lives or bad ones. Yet the truth was quite different.
Death was merely the end of consciousness. Nothing more. Nobody got sent anywhere afterward. People just ceased existing entirely. Their souls weren’t taken somewhere else. They simply disappeared forever. Like smoke blown away by the wind. Gone. Forever.
And yet he continued to cling desperately to hope. Hoped beyond reason that someday he might find a cure for this disease. Hope that his parents’ deaths would turn out to be mere coincidences. Hoped that the doctors were mistaken. That he wasn’t actually sick.
After all, surely nobody could believe such nonsense. Surely not even the scientists who had discovered the virus. Could they really expect everybody to accept that a deadly new strain of flu was spreading throughout the world without warning, killing millions within weeks while simultaneously wiping out entire species of animals and plants along with them?!
It was preposterous! Impossible! Ridiculous! Absurd! Insane! Unbelievable!
But there was no denying it. The evidence was staring him in the face. Everywhere he looked, everywhere he turned, everything around him screamed loudly and clearly: “This isn’t happening to you. This is reality. Get used to it.”
It was so hard to admit defeat. So difficult to give up on the one last shred of hope he’d been clinging to.
So impossible, in fact, that he found himself unable to move. Unable to breathe. Paralyzed by fear. Trapped behind an invisible barrier of despair. A prison cell of hopelessness.
Then Taryn moved quickly forwards and grabbed hold of his arm tightly. “Come on,” she urged him urgently. “We need to hurry if we’re going to catch up with those men before nightfall. Come on, come ON!!”
With shaking fingers he took her hand and allowed himself to be pulled after her once more. She didn’t let go until they reached their horses whereupon she immediately mounted hers. Ransom climbed into the saddle next to her and then followed suit. As soon as both of them had settled themselves comfortably he glanced over at her curiously.
Her eyes were wide with worry but otherwise, she seemed calm enough. Perhaps too calm given the circumstances. Almost serene.
“Are you okay?” he asked hesitantly.
She nodded slowly. “Yes. Yes, I am. Why shouldn’t I be? There’s nothing left for me here anyway. And besides, I’m sure you have something very important planned for tonight.”
He felt his cheeks grow warm beneath his mask. “I suppose you’re right.”
They rode silently through the forest together for several minutes longer. Then finally, Taryn spoke again. “Do you want to tell me why you brought me along? Do you trust me at least somewhat?”
The question caught him off guard. Hadn’t she already answered that herself earlier? But apparently, she hadn’t. Apparently, she needed reassurance. Something told him that she probably wouldn’t stop asking questions unless he gave her some answers.
Ransom swallowed nervously. Truthfully, he did feel better knowing that she was riding beside him. Better able to defend against whatever threats lay ahead. However, he also feared being trapped alone with her. If only because he suspected that she might eventually ask him to explain his actions. To justify what he was planning to do.
Which reminded him…
“…and that’s when I saw your horse wandering aimlessly down the road towards town,” he finished lamely.
For a moment she said nothing. Instead, she stared blankly forward. Then, abruptly, she began laughing softly. Laughing so quietly that he almost missed hearing it. When he glanced over at her, however, he noticed that tears were streaming freely from underneath the edge of her mask.
“Oh gods!” he exclaimed in surprise.
She wiped furiously at her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. “Sorry,” she mumbled sheepishly. “You know, I’ve never seen anyone laugh like that before. Not since my mother passed away two years ago. Oh, god, it feels so good to hear someone else doing it.”
Tears rolled steadily down her cheeks now. For a long time, neither of them spoke. Finally, though, she managed to regain control of her emotions. “Thank you,” she whispered hoarsely. Then, after another pause, added, “…for bringing me along.”
***
As the sun set on the horizon, the three travelers came across a small clearing just outside of town. They dismounted and tied their horses to nearby trees while Ransom went about collecting wood for a fire. He gathered quite a bit considering how little effort it required.
In less than five minutes he had collected nearly half of the dry kindling he would need to start a roaring blaze. Once he’d done that, he returned to the others.
Once everyone was seated around the campfire, Ransom explained their plan. It wasn’t much of one really. Just a simple reconnaissance. Nothing complicated or dangerous. All he wanted to do was get close enough to see who these people were without getting spotted himself.
After all, he reasoned, if things got hairy, he could always run back to the woods. No harm in trying out this new trick of his first, though. At worst he’d simply end up running for his life. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing either. Especially not after seeing what happened to the other man.
After explaining everything to the group, Taryn looked thoughtful for a few moments. “Why don’t you take the lead?” she suggested suddenly. “That way you can keep watch for us while we sleep. We’ll follow behind you. You won’t even notice our presence.
The best part is, none of the townsfolk will ever suspect anything. Even if you happen to spot any guards, they won’t think twice about it. Because no matter which direction you look in, there are four of you. Four men walking purposefully toward town. What reason could you possibly have to turn back on your own initiative?”
Ransom smiled slightly under his mask. This woman certainly knew how to put an idea over well. Of course, he couldn’t help noticing that she sounded awfully confident. Too confident perhaps. Was she actually expecting him to succeed? Or maybe she expected him to fail and hoped that he would return safely anyway? Either way, he found her confidence comforting somehow.
“Okay,” he agreed readily. “Lead the way then.”
And so, as darkness fell, the three companions made their way into town.
It took them more than fifteen minutes to reach the outskirts of the city proper. From there, they walked single file until they reached the main gate. As soon as they stepped inside, Ransom stopped dead still. His heart pounded loudly within his chest. A cold sweat broke out across his brow.
This was where the real danger lay. Here, among the buildings and streets crowded tightly together. Where every person passing by was a potential threat. And yet, despite the fact that he felt completely exposed here, he didn’t dare move. Not even to glance around.
There was too great a risk that something might give him away. So instead, he stood motionless, waiting patiently for the rest of the party to catch up.
When they arrived, he turned to face the others. “We’re going straight through,” he announced calmly. “I’m sure most of the guards patrol near the gates. If we go slowly and casually, we should be able to avoid being caught. But remember, once we enter the central district, we must proceed very carefully indeed. Any wrong step could mean death.”
He paused briefly, allowing the words to sink in. Then, turning again, he led the way deeper into the city.
The night air was cool against Ransom’s skin. Despite the warmth of the day, the temperature dropped sharply as dusk settled over the land. By the time they finally entered the center of town, the chill wind cut right through his clothes. Fortunately, the moon provided ample light to guide them.
Still, it seemed to Ransom that each streetlamp cast only a tiny circle of illumination. Every shadow loomed largely. Each alleyway appeared dark and deep.
They continued moving forward, making their way from building to building. Occasionally, when a door opened somewhere ahead, Ransom ducked low beneath the cover of a nearby doorway. Otherwise, however, he remained standing tall, watching intently for signs of trouble.
Finally, after several blocks had been covered, he began to relax somewhat. Although he kept his eyes peeled at all times, he now allowed himself to breathe normally. With luck, nothing would come along tonight. Perhaps tomorrow morning they could make better progress.
For the moment, though, he decided to continue on with caution rather than haste. Better to remain alert for any sign of pursuit.
Eventually, they came to another intersection. Only two roads branched off here: one leading northward, the other south. Both directions offered equally good escape routes. Yet neither path presented a clear advantage. They both ran parallel to the river, but since the water flowed east-west, there was little chance that anyone coming down either road would find themselves trapped between the banks.
So, deciding to play it safe, they headed west. In truth, Ransom hadn’t given much thought to which route to choose. He just assumed that whichever way they chose, they’d eventually hit the same wall. However, it never occurred to him that the walls were of different heights. Had he known that, he probably wouldn’t have risked taking the southern passage in the first place.
As it happened, the western side of the city proved to be quite easy to navigate. It wasn’t long before they emerged onto the broad expanse of the River Road itself. Now, this was truly dangerous ground.
Anyone who saw them crossing the bridge would surely report what they witnessed immediately to the guardhouse. At least, that was the theory. Unfortunately, the reality was far less certain. After all, the guardsmen weren’t likely to waste their precious manpower searching for three strangers wandering aimlessly through the woods.
Besides, if someone did spot them, they would undoubtedly assume that these men belonged to some local bandit gang. No doubt, they’d simply laugh and wave them past without further ado.
Still, Ransom was forced to admit that the risks involved here were considerable. The last thing he wanted was to get spotted while trying to cross the bridge. That meant he needed to keep his wits about him at all times. To do otherwise would spell disaster.
Fortunately, things went smoothly enough. Once they reached the middle of the span, they slipped quickly back into the trees and bushes lining the bank. All told, it took nearly an hour to complete the journey. During those hours, Ransom found himself constantly scanning the surrounding area.
Whenever possible, he tried to stay close to his companions. This gave him a better vantage point. More importantly, it also afforded him the opportunity to watch for approaching threats.
At length, they reemerged onto the eastern shore of the river. Here, the terrain became considerably rougher and wilder. A few miles farther downstream, the waters churned violently. Beyond that, the rapids grew so fierce that no boat dared attempt to pass through them. From the look of things, the current was strong enough to sweep away anything foolish or careless enough to venture out into its midst.
Ransom couldn’t help feeling relieved upon reaching the opposite end of the bridge. Even though the sun still hung high overhead, darkness had already begun to settle across the landscape. As always, twilight brought with it a sense of foreboding.
There was something ominous lurking beyond the reach of the moonlight. Something waiting to strike unawares. And yet, despite the dangers posed by the forest, Ransom felt confident that they might safely travel onward. If nothing else, the fact that the soldiers had failed to catch up made it seem unlikely that anyone would bother looking for them.
Sooner or later, they would arrive at the edge of the wilderness. Then, they could rest assured that they were free to go wherever they pleased.
For the moment, though, Ransom had more immediate concerns. While walking along the riverbank, he noticed that the ground was littered with debris—bits of wood, broken branches, even pieces of cloth. These items seemed to have washed ashore during recent floods.
But why? What purpose could they possibly serve? Surely, none of them served as useful weapons. Not unless you counted sticks and stones. Still, the question bothered him. Why should such refuse lie scatter around like this? Where was it supposed to go once it was swept aside by the floodwaters?
He pondered the matter for only a brief time, however. Before too long, he realized that it didn’t really concern him very much. Whatever the reason, it hardly mattered. By then, he had bigger problems on his mind. Namely, how best to proceed from here.
The answer soon revealed itself. Just ahead lay a small clearing where the land rose slightly above the level of the river. Though not large, it provided ample room to spread out their blankets. Moreover, since most of the trees growing nearby were stunted pines and spruces, the night air remained relatively cool.
For now, anyway. With any luck, the weather would hold until morning. Otherwise, they might find themselves sweltering under a blazing hot sun.
Once again, Ransom decided to take charge of matters. “We’ll camp here,” he announced decisively. “Tomorrow we can decide whether to continue northward.”
“North?” asked Gaedynn. His tone suggested that he doubted there was anywhere left to go but south.
To his surprise, Ransom shook his head. He pointed toward the east. “There’s another road leading off in that direction. We may as well follow it and see where it leads us.”
Gaedynn frowned. “I don’t understand. You said yourself that the army is heading west. How will following one path leads us to the other?”
Ransom shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe it won’t. In which case, I suppose we’re done here. On the other hand, maybe it does. Either way, it doesn’t hurt to try. Besides, if we wait too long, we risk getting caught between two armies instead of just one!”
His companion considered these words carefully before replying. Finally, he nodded reluctantly. “Very well. Let’s make our plans accordingly.”
***
It wasn’t easy keeping track of everything going on around her. It never was. She knew that she ought to be paying attention, especially when dealing with people who weren’t accustomed to being watched. Yet somehow, whenever someone started talking, she’d drift off. Or start thinking about what she wanted to do next. Sometimes, both at the same time!
Still, it hadn’t been all bad news. The last thing she needed right now was some new problem to worry over. At least, not while trying to keep tabs on everyone else. That meant staying alert. Which, unfortunately, was easier said than done. Especially considering how many distractions surrounded her.
She glanced down at the map lying open beside her bedroll. Despite the heat, she wore a light cotton shirt beneath her leather jerkin. Her hair had grown longer, and she kept it tied back in an elaborate braid. Most of the men had taken to calling her Lady Arista.
They thought it amusing. Of course, she found it annoying. After all, she wasn’t actually married to Lord Darien. Nor did she intend ever to become so. No, she simply liked wearing pretty dresses and having servants fussing over her every need.
The End